By Scout Nelson
Winter feeding plays an important role in beef cattle production, especially for farms with spring-calving herds. During colder months, producers focus on maintaining the body condition of pregnant cows while controlling feed expenses. However, winter nutrition does more than keep cows healthy until calving.
The nutrients cows receive during pregnancy also influence the growth and development of their unborn calves. Research shows that proper nutrition during pregnancy can affect calf growth, health, metabolism, and future productivity. This process is known as fetal programming, which describes how conditions before birth influence an animal's development and performance later in life.
Research involving South Dakota State University (SDSU) and other regional institutions highlights the importance of maternal nutrition. Jessica Drum, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Beef Reproductive Physiology Specialist, along with Dr. Rebecca Swanson and Dr. Ana Clara B. Menezes, contributes to research and knowledge that help explain how nutrition during pregnancy affects cattle development. Their research highlights the importance of managing cow nutrition during critical stages of pregnancy and finding feeding methods that support both cow and calf performance.
Why Late Pregnancy Is Important
The final three months of pregnancy are especially important for cattle. During this period, the unborn calf grows quickly and needs more nutrients. The placenta plays an important role by controlling how nutrients move from the mother to the developing calf.
The placenta transfers important nutrients, including amino acids and fatty acids, that support fetal growth. It also adjusts its activity based on the nutrients available to the pregnant cow.
Research led by Dr. Rebecca Swanson examines how low nutrient intake during mid to late pregnancy affects nutrient transfer between cows and their unborn calves. Researchers find that limited nutrition changes the fatty acid levels in the fetus and affects genes involved in nutrient movement through the placenta.
These findings show that the placenta responds to changes in the mother's diet and adjusts how nutrients reach the developing calf (Kennedy et al., 2026).
Earlier research also shows that limited nutrition during late pregnancy affects amino acid levels in both cows and fetuses. It also changes the systems responsible for transferring these nutrients through the placenta (Swanson et al., 2022b).
These findings highlight why producers need to provide balanced nutrition throughout pregnancy, especially during the final stages.
Feeding Calves Before Birth
Fetal programming explains how the conditions inside a pregnant cow affect her unborn calf. The amount and quality of nutrients available during pregnancy influence the development of important organs, muscles, and body systems.
Therefore, winter feeding programs should focus on more than maintaining the cow's body condition. They should also provide the nutrients needed for healthy calf development.
Research suggests that nutrition before birth may influence an animal's growth and performance after birth. Although scientists continue to study the biological processes behind fetal programming, current findings show that unborn calves respond to changes in nutrient availability during important stages of development.
For producers, this means that proper feeding decisions during pregnancy can support both current cow health and future calf performance.
Precision Feeding Helps Improve Efficiency
Feed efficiency is another important concern for beef producers. Researchers at South Dakota State University, led by Dr. Ana Clara B. Menezes and her team, study how precision feeding affects pregnant cows and their calves during late pregnancy and early milk production.
The research compares limit-fed, energy-rich diets with traditional forage-based feeding programs. Results show that cows receiving a limit-fed, corn-based diet consume less feed and water. They also produce lower total daily methane emissions than cows receiving traditional forage-based diets.
Researchers also observe increased activity in placental genes linked to immune function, inflammation, and energy use. In addition, cows receiving the limit-fed diet produce more colostrum, along with higher milk fat yield and energy-corrected milk (Wehrbein et al., 2026a,b).
Importantly, the feeding strategy does not negatively affect calf growth through weaning. The study also estimates that producers can save approximately $29 per cow by using corn-concentrating diets during winter feeding.
These results suggest that carefully planned feeding programs can reduce feed expenses and resource use while maintaining cow performance and calf growth. However, producers need to consider their herd's nutritional needs before changing feeding practices.
Maternal Nutrition May Benefit Future Generations
The benefits of proper nutrition during pregnancy may extend beyond the first generation of calves.
A study from the Center for Nutrition and Pregnancy at North Dakota State University (NDSU), co-authored by Dr. Ana Clara B. Menezes, examines how vitamin and mineral supplements given to pregnant heifers affect later generations.
Researchers observe differences in growth, metabolism, and development among the descendants of supplemented females (Hurlbert et al., 2026).
Further research is also examining how feeding dried distillers, grains, or canola meal to pregnant and nursing cows affects the long-term health, performance, and immune systems of their daughters and granddaughters.
Early findings suggest that canola meal supplementation during pregnancy may help newborn calves develop a stronger and faster immune response. Scientists continue to study how these nutritional changes affect future generations.
These findings show that feeding decisions made during pregnancy may have lasting effects on cattle health and productivity.
Some Points to Remember
- Maintain proper body condition in pregnant cows throughout the winter.
- Pay special attention to nutrition during the final three months of pregnancy.
- Provide balanced diets with enough energy, protein, vitamins, and minerals.
- Consider precision feeding methods to reduce feed costs and improve efficiency.
- Monitor cow health, milk production, and calf growth when evaluating feeding programs.
- Recognize that maternal nutrition can influence calf development and future herd productivity.
- Maintain proper vitamin and mineral supplementation throughout pregnancy.
Proper winter nutrition is an important investment in beef cattle production. By providing balanced diets and using efficient feeding strategies, producers can support cow health, improve calf development, control feed expenses, and strengthen the long-term performance of their herds.
Photo Credit: istock-simplycreativephotography
Categories: South Dakota, Livestock, Beef Cattle, Weather